In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Barlow's in Tucker, Georgia.
Barlow's is owned by Susan, who got the bar in the divorce from her husband.
The bar has never been successful.
She decided to open the kitchen using a local businessman John to head it as a co-owner with $30,000 of equipment.
This was the worst idea she had as he had up to one hour ticket times.
His inexperience has contributed to the failure of the bar.
Susan is also not able to handle all her staff throw at her.
There are issues with fighting and compensation fraud.
Susan has looked the other way about drinking at the bar and partying.
She is $102,000 in debt and in a bitter rivalry with John.
Jon recons the bar with expert mixologist Russell Davis and expert chef Tiffany Derry.
The exterior is not exciting and it looks like a family restaurant selling fried eggs.
Jon decides to call them on the phone to check their customer service.
No one picks up and the voicemail box is full.
Jon sends in three service professionals and locals as his spies.
They see the bar is divided into two by glass for a smoking and non-smoking section.
The spies order some drinks and the bartender makes it incorrectly.
There are also served warm, foamy beer as well.
Bartender Nikky is drunk and is playing pool and dancing.
The spies order barbecue as they saw it on the website but they do not have any.
They order a burger and the cook makes the beef patty from beef in a tube.
The burger tastes horrible.
The staff have shots in front of Susan and she does not react.
Jon has seen enough and steps in to meet the owners separately.
They tell differing stories and blame each other for the faults of the bar.
Jon meets them together so they can sort it out but it dissolves in bickering.
Jon meets the staff and introduces his experts.
They point out the foamy warm beer and the duct tape on the piping.
In the kitchen they find so much wrong with it in terms of functionality and spelling.
There is water leaking from inside the walk-in, mouldy tomatoes and a mouldy wall.
The staff are sent home and Jon has professionals come in to clean the mould out of the bar.
The staff are gathered and Jon meets them.
Susan lets them all know they are just two months from closing.
According to the staff John is a bad manager and he is oblivious.
There is a Bevintel report from Jon.
Olga and Nikky gave away a lot of liquor.
The next night they did better since they noticed Jon was tracking the liquor and it is clear that they were doing it intentionally.
Jon also tackles Nikky who was caught stealing and is still employed.
Susan did not punish her and she is made to fire Nikky.
Russell tackles their huge menu of drinks and tests them on drinks they should know.
Jamie does poorly, not knowing most of the drinks.
Russell gives them some tips for some basic drinks.
Tiffany trains them on a kitchen line for effective cooking.
She trains them on using good meat and fresh ingredients to make a burger from scratch.
Jon meets with Susan and John to look at their financials and it was plug and play with bad balance sheets.
John and Susan bicker on the financials.
They prepare for the stress test and Jon has four stickers for anyone who makes mistakes.
Customers are let in and orders start coming in.
The bartenders and the kitchen staff make lots of mistakes and are quickly covered in stickers.
Susan is the one shining throughout the stress test.
She is running food, drinks, taking orders and being on top on where she is helping.
The ticket times skyrocket to almost thirty minutes.
Jamie is so flustered she walks away full of stickers to cry in the backroom.
In the kitchen John is not directing and is not vocal.
His cook is doing most of the work.
The vent hood in the kitchen was not turned on so smoke enters the bar and makes some people uncomfortable.
The night is a mess and the stress test is shut down.
At the feedback afterwards John is called out for the disorganised kitchen.
Jamie is called out for freezing under pressure and Susan commended for working hard.
John is told to leave the kitchen while Q is made the kitchen manager.
Russell starts the training the next day with southern flair signature drinks.
Tiffany trains Q and a second cook on making chicken and waffles sliders and burger sliders.
Jon meets with the owners and tells them they will help arrange their bookkeeping and staff processes.
They decide they will sell equipment they are not using like the smoker to raise money for their rent.
John’s strength is business so he is asked to be an adviser and take over the books.
The partners settle.
The bar is renovated over thirty-six hours and the staff are gathered in the late evening to unveil their new bar.
The bar has been renamed and is now called Comeback Sports Bar and Grill.
There is a new sign with bold logos that show it is a bar and can be seen from the street.
Inside is now cleaner and more open without the glass window.
There is a negative pressure system for the air so smokers can be in the bar.
The bar has a lit backbar, a new beer system and an Atlanta Board of sports references.
The kitchen has been fully stocked from the prep station and there is a personalised chef’s jacket for Q.
They work quickly preparing to open while Susan records a new message for their phone line.
On relaunch, customers are let in and they love the ambience.
Orders come in and Jamie starts flustered but gets better.
The kitchen is swamped with orders and moves too slow at first but works through it all reducing ticket times.
Susan has to keep customers distracted while the staff find their rhythm.
John is a host greeting guests.
What Happened Next at Barlow's / Comeback Sports Bar and Grill?
Three months later, it is revealed Susan runs the bar.
John handles the books which is working for both.
Nikky came to ask for her job back but was not rehired.
Barlow's / Comeback Sports Bar and Grill closed in October 2017 after the bar was sold.
In 2016, owner Susan Wood won a seat on the city council.
Reviews prior to the closure were mostly positive with praise for the food and drinks.
Click for more Bar Rescues
Previous episode - Handlebar Cafe
Next episode - Gipsy
This post was last updated in February 2022.
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